Rotary engine



Dec., 18, m3. f Hmmm E. C. GRQVES ROTARY ENGINE Filed May 25 1921 2 SheetsShe-e t EL Dec. 18 1923.

' 1543795@ E. c. @Rox/Esl ROTARY ENGINE Filed May 25 1921 2 Sheetsf'Shet 2 Patented Dec. l, i923.

sri-irs encreur orifice EARL C. GROVES, OF EIOBSON, IV'ONTANA, ASSGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO WAITE LAND AND LIVESTOCK COMPANY, OF UTIICA vTONTAN, A CORPORATION OF MONTANA,

AND ONETHIRD TO J. E. LANE, Ol? LEWISTOVi/'EL MONTANA.

ROTARY Application led May 25, 1921.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL C. Gnovns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hobson, in the county of Fergus and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of vwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying draw- Y tation of the rotor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved device of this general character wherein a sliding piston is carried by the rotor and normally urged outwardly into working position, together with coaoting means carried by the rotor and stator to impart the requisite inward movement to said abutment at requisite intervals to permit said rotor to have unobstructed or unhindered rotation.

Itis also an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved engine of this general character wherein the induction' and eduction of the operating fluid is under control of the rotor, together with manually operated means for reversing the functioning of said openings so that the expansive fluid may 'be admitted at either side of an abutment. Y Y

The invention consistsV in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved engine whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully Aset forth.

The Vnovel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that my invention-may bef-the better understood, I will now proceed to de- ENGINE.

Serial No. 472,440.

scribe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view taken through a motor constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention and substantially on the line A-A of Figure l.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-1-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the engine as herein embodied with a head ofthe stator removed, and

Figure Il is a fragmentary detail view partly in section and partly in elevation, the line of section being substantially on the line i-l of Figure l.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, S denotes a stator substantially cylindrical inform and which has disposed axially thereof the shaft l. Arranged within the stator S is the rotor R including a hub 2 fixed to the shaft l and radiating from opposite end portions of the hub 2 are the spokes or arms 3 connected to and supporting the drum or cylinder 4. The opposite end portions of the cylinder or drum l snugly lit within the opposite end portions of the rotor R and the central portion of the stator S is outwardly off-set to provide an annular chamber 5. The wall of the drum or cylinder f1 is provided with a longitudinally disposed slot 6 through which is slidably directed a radially movable sliding piston 7 which normally projects beyond the periphery of the cylinder or `drum 4: and snugly engages within-the chamber 5. The .central portion of the piston 7 is provided with an inwardly disposed radial arm 8 which is also freely disposed through an arm 9 connecting a pair of adjacent spokes 3. Inter-posed between the spoke 3 and the Vpiston 7 is a coil spring l() encircling the arm 8 andwhich serves to constantly urge the piston Z outwardly to maintain the same in requisite working position within the chamber 5.

The opposite end portions of the piston 7 are provided with the outstanding extensions or arms 11 and rotatably mounted upon the outer extremity of each of said arms or extensions 1l is a roller l2 which is adapted to engage a cam member Msuitably secured lil@ to an inner face of the stator S. The flange a5 -the elongated lever 22, provided at one end 111 is so positioned that at proper'intervals, the piston 7 will be caused to swing inwardly so that the stationary abutment 15 carried by the` stator S will offer no obstruction or hindrance to the requisite rotation-of the rotor. The stationary abutment 15 has close contact with the periphery of the rotor R and extends entirely across the chamber 5 and the working face ofthe abutment 15 is provided with the packing 16 which has direct contact with the periphery of the rotor R. Y

The bore ot the stator S, at opposite sides or' the stationary abut-ment 15, is provided with the port-s 17 in communication with the chamber 5. The outer end portion o t each or' said ports 17 are in communication with the ports a and 5, the port a constituting an eX- haust port and the port b leading to a chest 18. At the junctions of each of the, ports 17 a and b is-ahollow rotary valve 19 provided with the ports c and Zlwhich are adapted Ato registereither with the ports 17 and portaor port 17 and port b so that in practice, each .of the ports 17 may constitute eitherY an inlet portfor exhaust port in accordance with thedirection of travel of the rotor R.

' Each of the valves 19 is engaged with its spindle 20` and to. an extendedportion of the spindle20- is loosely fixed an armn21. The arm` 21 of one spindle is substantially inrparallelism with the'arm of the second spindle andy the outeror tree end portions of said arms 21 are pivotally `engaged with with a hand grasp -23 whereby the lever 22 maybe manuallyoperated to swing` the arms 21 to move the valves 19 into reverse position'as required.

Fixed tothe outer end of each of the spindles 2O is a disc 19?L and connectingthe disc 19?- and the adjacent arm 21 is a'retractile member or spring` 24 which operates to normally maintain the arm 21 in Contact with a stop 25 carried by the disc 19a yet at 'the same time permits the valve to have the requisite rocking movement.V

ul'iach of the valves 19 is provided with a radially disposed and outstanding .elongated arm 26, the arm of one valve beingsubstantiallvperpendicularly related to the arm of the sec-ond valve. When the arm 26 of one oit the valves 19 is disposed in a direction toward the second valve, said first named valve has its ports c and Z positioned to control the inlet of the expansive fluid into the Achamber 5 from the chest 18 and the second valve has its ports c and d in communication withy the second port 17 andthe adja cent port bso that Asaid second port 17 is open-for the purposeV o-exhaust In communication with the chest I18 isa pipe27 fleading from a-suitable source of fiuidfnnclerpres'sure suchas steam, air, or

the like, and the flow ot saidfuid .into the chest 18 is under control ot' a rotary valve V and the movement of the valve V is preterably under the influence of a governor so thatithe rotor may be caused to revolve at a constant rate Vof speed. Y

The valve V. has secu-red to an extended portion ot its stem a rocl'arin 28 to which is operatively engaged a rod'r29, also operai tiveiy engaged with an end portion ot a bell crank lever 30 pivotally supported at its heei portion by a wall of the stator S. The opposite end portion oi` the bell crank lever 8O is operatively engaged with a rod 31f which extends inwardly-of the stator S and which is provided at itsinsertedend with a roller 32 constantly lin Contact with tapered or cam cover 33 iXed to the shaft 1 torrota` tion. therewith but capable of movement lon gitudinally thereof under thejinfluence oie a governor, not shown.A lAs the collar orcam 'moves outwardly upon increased speed ot the shaft, the valve V willbe correspond-4 ingly rotatedto reduce thel admission ot the. expansive fluid, ,and -vice versa. The roller 32 is constantly'heldjinto Contact with the collar or cam 33 and the valve V normally maintained in full openl positionby the retractile springlivsecured to an arm of the bell crank lever Bland the adjacent wall of the stator S. M

In practice, the cam" members lfcoact with the rollers A12 to retract the sliding pisg ton 7 when thesameV closely approaches the stationary abutmentland the spring 10 automatically returns said pistonin working position after the stationary abutment has been passed. The sleeve or cylinder4 at one end portion is' provided with the inwardly disposed cam iiangje 35 whichV coacts with' a roller carriedvby the inner end portion of Y a rod 37 4slidably disposed through the adjacent wall of the stator S.

The outerend portion ofthe rod 37'is prostructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted `for use by reason ot theconvenience and facilitywith Vwhich it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be'ob'vious that my'invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for thispreauson'lfdo not wish to'be Aunderstfied as limiting-myself, to

^f inmerso the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:-

In a rotary engine embodying a casing having a stationary abutment and a rotor having a sliding piston, ports in the casing communicating with the interior of the casing` on either side of the stationary abutment with a common expansive fluid inlet and With the atmosphere, a valve in each of said ports movable to connect the interior of the casing with the expansive fluid inlet or with the atmosphere, said valves being reversely disposed, means for simultaneously shifting said valves to reverse the port connections thereof, a member intermittently reciprooated during the operation of the engine, and an operating arm for each of said valves and lying in the path of said member when its associated valve is in position to connect the interior of the casing with the expansive fluid inlet, the member contacting With an arm to oscillate the second valve independently of thereversing means.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

EARL C. GROVES. 

